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The Salvaging of the Three-Masted Bark Laura A. Burnham — 1882 by Edouard A. Stackpole
IT WAS NEARLY fifty years ago that the story of a most unusual salvage incident in the many exploits of the Nantucketers was told me by one of those who took part in the "wrecking" adventure. He was a man better known as the town bell-ringer — James H. Gibbs — and, in his retirement, (having passed that assignment over to his son, Jay Gibbs), he was in his 86th year, and living at the head of Main Street in one of the attractive small homes still standing, As a young reporter for The Inquirer and Mirror, I found a reference to the near disaster of a big three-masted bark, the Laura A. Burnham, in 1894, and found Mr. Gibbs' name in the list of the crew members of the salvagers. After a pleasant walk, I found him at home and, with his usual graciousness, he gave me the story, in such detail as to reveal again his remarkable memory. As during a previous visit, several months before, when he related his whaling experiences, his eyes lighted up as he recalled the adventure, although it had happened fifty-five years before, in 1882. "It seems that long ago," he began, "although I know it may be beyond the recollections of most folk on Nantucket today (1937). 'Twas on a February morning when I saw a team driving down the lane leading toward the barn. I was then working for Levi Coffin, in 'Sconset, at his farm. As the team came closer I saw it was being driven by none other than Frank Mitchell, an old friend, with whom I had gone to sea on the bark Herald, on a whaling voyage to the Pacific, several years before. With Frank was Billy Burgess and another man from town, and they wanted to put their horse up for the night. It had been reported in town that a vessel in distress had been sighted off the east end, and Frank wanted to get a crew together and go out to her. "I was married then — had my family living at the farm — and when he asked me to join him I was hesitant because my wife wasn't too pleased with the idea. But Frank was a close friend and she finally agreed to it as we sat in our house enjoying a good supper. Frank then went into the village to seek other recruits, but we were advised to go on to Quidnet, where Frank was confident that the Norcross boys might be willing to join a crew." The Quidnet trip was encouraging, with two men in that tiny hamlet willing to join the party — Edward and John Norcross. They also found there a number of men who had driven out from town — Asa
